Growing Pains
by DraejonSoul
Summary: Slices of life of the Takahashi brothers when they're not racing. Ratings may vary from fluff to inanity to angst. UPDATED! Jul. 27, '09 -- Drawing the Battle Lines
1. Vulnerable

I needed to get out of the rut of a writer's block on **"Promises to a Distant Sky"** so I decided to take a break from the drama with something light. Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: The characters are creations by Shuichi Shigeno from the manga/anime series, Initial D. No copyright infringements intended. (And I usually return the characters in working order.)

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**Vulnerable**

He looked up from his laptop for what could be the fifth time that hour to see Tsugumi staring at him, instead of the textbook.

"Tsugumi." He followed it with a pointed look at the book in her hands, a silent reprimand for her to continue reading while he looked over the simulations he had been working on the past two days. Fumihiro and Kenta arrived two days ago with footages of the course they will race on this Saturday. It was a welcome addition to the topographical map Ryousuke uploaded in his simulator program. It would give him and his drivers a better lay of the land, so to speak.

It was a regular Friday for Takahashi Ryousuke, but a rather less-hectic Friday at that. He had turned in a term paper that morning, and his professors have been amazingly magnanimous by giving them less work for the weekend. Which meant more time for Ryousuke to devote his energies on their practice run tonight.

Friday also meant tutoring time for Tsugumi, as he always let his Saturdays more open when a battle was at hand.

"What is it, Tsugumi?" He asked finally, hardly keeping his exasperation from his tone. Even when he wasn't looking, he could feel the curious gaze his cousin was directed his way. Not that it was distracting him in any way; it was taking Tsugumi's attention from her studies.

Tsugumi offered a sheepish grin. "Sorry. It's just that… well, I'm just not used to seeing you like… that."

He stared wordlessly at his cousin before turning back to the laptop screen. "It's only temporary," he offered as he resumed typing.

"It suits you, I think," Tsugumi offered.

"I don't like it," Ryousuke admitted. "But I have to make do for now."

"You look _fine_, Ryousuke," she assured him with a giggle. "I didn't think you can be so touchy about your looks."

"I'm not," he blurted defensively, then sighed. "It's just that I'm not used to this." He looked up to her with a serious look. "And we are getting away from the subject of your Trigonometry assignment."

Tsugumi blew out a melodramatic sigh before uttering, "Yes, sir."

Ryousuke shook his head slightly before turning his full attention back to the simulation, and order was restored in his room once more.

-o- -O- -o-

It was close to nine-thirty when Project arrived at the course. Ryousuke stirred to wakefulness when he felt the van stationary far longer than usual. He straightened the passenger seat, taking out an object from his breast pocket and slipping it on before stepping out of the van. As he signaled Fumihiro to speak to the opposing team, he tracked down Matsumoto.

"Matsumoto. How are the revisions going with the Eight-Six?" He asked the vehicle's mechanic as he came up to him.

Matsumoto uttered strange choking sounds before composing himself and giving his report. Ryousuke gave an inward sigh. He would really have to get used to this.

As he surmised, he saw a similar reaction from Tomiguchi the moment he laid eyes on Ryousuke. It was a minor irritant, but if he would have to put up with this all night…

"Yes, I know," was his clipped remark at Kenta as he walked past the gaping boy. He left him making odd, soundless gestures, but he had more important things in mind.

"Pay close attention to the course," he began without ceremony when he reached Fujiwara and his brother. "With the rain this afternoon, you would need to make a few adjustments to your driving. We cannot be assured whether it would rain tomorrow or not, so I want you two to be extra sensitive to how your cars react to the road." He waited for his drivers to show they understood, which came, to Ryousuke's estimate, five seconds later than what was usual of their reaction.

He let it slide for now. "Drive at 70 as usual," he hesitated at seeing their faces. "Do you have a question, Fujiwara?"

The boy looked genuinely startled with the ambush question, and shook his head a blink later. Ryousuke wanted to roll his eyes. Fujiwara usually looked out of it unless he was being briefed by him.

He turned to his brother.

"Oh, no," Keisuke supplied as he waved his hands in front of him. "Just that, well, it's been a while since I saw you with them." He offered a sly grin.

Ryousuke finally let his exasperation show with a sigh. Not yet on the road, and his drivers were already distracted. If this is what it takes…

"Just focus and go."

They nodded in unison, and quickly made their way to their vehicles. Soon, the revving of the Project D cars resounded in the damp night air, and everything was back to business once more.

Ryousuke was left to his own devices for the first ten minutes until Fumihiro came up beside him.

"I never knew you were short-sighted."

If he didn't know any better, Ryousuke detected amusement in Fumihiro's voice.

He pushed up the silver frame up his nose. "My contacts had to be replaced, and I won't get them until Monday."

Fumihiro tilted his head at Ryousuke, fixing him a fascinated stare—or rather, at the wire frame before Ryousuke's eyes.

"So you can't see without them?"

He turned a narrow look at his friend. "I'm near-sighted, Fumi, not blind." Why doesn't Tomiguchi get such treatment? But then, he rationalized to himself, they hardly really saw the mechanic _without_his glasses, either.

Fumihiro gave a good-natured chuckle. "I'm sorry, Ryousuke," he apologized. "You just look so different from usual."

He paused and looked him over again, making Ryousuke want to fidget from the scrutiny. "In fact, you look more dignified, a lot more mature. A lot…"

"Geekier." He made sure Tomiguchi was out of earshot when he made that careless remark, not wanting to offend the man.

Fumihiro eyed him thoughtfully, laying a hand on Ryousuke's shoulder. "Come now, Ryousuke. It doesn't look that bad!" he gently assured. "What made you think that?"

Ryousuke thrust his hands in his jeans pocket, looking contemplatively at the night sky. This was not something he discussed freely with anyone, not even with Keisuke. But, what the hell…

"My eyesight had been really bad," he confessed at length, "since I was in junior high, so I had to wear corrective lenses. My classmates were merciless then, when they found a chink in my proverbial armor." He shrugged in nonchalance. "I was a straight A student, so I could understand some people wanting to get me down."

Fumihiro looked sympathetic. "They did, didn't they?"

He sighed, then offered a laconic grin. "I try not to let it get to me, but I suppose they saw it as a weakness and they exploited that little fact at every chance they get. When I was allowed to, I convinced my parents to getting me a pair of contact lenses. I didn't go back to glasses since."

They fell into comfortable silence after Ryousuke's quiet confession, the younger man feeling a little unburdened by his admission to one of the many moments in his life when he felt vulnerable. As the years wore on, however, cruel words had made Takahashi Ryousuke a lot stronger, and his newfound pursuits then had always kept his focus to that one predetermined goal.

Fumihiro is one of the few of his trusted friends; his little secret was in good hands.

"If you never used your glasses, then those lenses should be ten years old by now," Fumihiro surmised. "Won't it make your eyesight worse?"

Ryousuke quietly chuckled, nudging the glasses up his face once more. "I didn't say I never used them," he pointed out. "I get the lenses replaced the same time I update my contacts in case things like this happen."

The older man shared the grin. Count on Takahashi Ryousuke to think three steps ahead.

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A/N: I came up with the notion that Ryousuke's eyesight must be bad by now from constant reading and tinkering with his simulations. So you see, he is human, after all...

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	2. Realization

_20 Oct., '08: I'm getting there. I'm slowly getting back to writing again. Sorry to make some of you wait so long for updates. I miss writing like this. I hope to get back on track with **Promises to a Distant Sky** (-- remember that fic? :wink: --) as well._

_Standard disclaimers apply. Hope you enjoy!_

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**Growing Pains: Realization**

Dawn was slowly approaching when Takahashi Keisuke was cruising on his yellow Mazda RX-7 towards home, a lingering smile on his face at the recollection of recent events. He came from another successful battle of the RedSuns against other Akagi teams as he decided to pit the team's new drivers against other team's more seasoned ones. With his brother concentrating more on his internship these days, and with the closing of Project D early last winter, it fell on Keisuke's shoulders to make sure the legacy of the Takahashi brothers will still live on. So while he waited for the right opportunity with the big teams, his old Akagi team was more than happy to have their old number two driver back into the fold. Keisuke couldn't be any happier.

Since his older sibling moved out of the house to fully concentrate on his medical career, life had been more… subdued at the house. With nobody to talk to about cars and racing and planning for battles, there was no real reason to hang around much except for the obligatory rest and shared meals with his parents. Their mother had jokingly remarked over dinner that Keisuke ought to start paying for his transitory stay in his "dorm". Keisuke understood the hint, but felt the air in the household more confining than before, and the restlessness had been more felt of late without the palpable presence of his sibling, mentor and friend.

Keisuke was not verbal about it, but he missed Ryousuke despite his stern disciplinarian ways especially during their expeditions together. But he was fair, Keisuke would always reassure himself, and he was fully aware that his _aniki_ always had his well-being in mind. This was why he always had a reason to call him up, be it to update him with the goings-on in the RedSuns, with Fujiwara and the rest of Project.D's crew, to anything about automotives and racing. And being the generous older brother that he was, Ryousuke always seemed to have time to have a talk with his younger brother.

Once at the residence, he pulled his FD into the garage, surprised to find the FC parked in its old place. He cocked a brow, his puzzlement overpowering his excitement that his brother was home. It wasn't usual to find his brother's car in the garage these days. Last he heard, Ryousuke was assigned at a hospital in Tokyo. _Could he be done with his internship duties there?_

Getting out of the driver's seat, his curiosity turned to mild distress as he saw smoke rising lazily by the driver's side of the white coupe. He hurried to that side and stopped in his tracks to find his brother leaning back against the driver's door, arms resting against drawn-up knees. Then his eyes drew to the cause of his alarm, his brows shooting up again. A cigarette dangled between his brother's nervous fingers, as the ash fell from the tip and piling carelessly on the concrete floor as his brother stared at the empty wall across. Presently, Ryousuke seemed to have shaken out of his stupor and looked up.

Keisuke's elation returned when his alarm subsided. But it lasted for but a second as something in Ryousuke's demeanor told him this was not a very happy homecoming. He decided to break the silence. "I thought you quit a long time ago," he remarked in way of a greeting, shifting his weight on one foot.

Ryousuke's attention was drawn to the cigarette in his hand, then shrugged. "I didn't even realize I lit it," was all he said. He flicked the ash that stubbornly clung to the tip, his gaze lost in the action.

The younger Takahashi thrust his hands in his pockets, pondering at his brother's reticence, and the fact that he was here. "You done in Tokyo?"

The other shook his head, still staring at a distance. "I was driving around for a few hours, until I realized I ended up here." His hand brought the cigarette close to his lips, but froze as its owner seemed to be considering something. Finally, he let it drop beside him, crushing the embers with the heel of his shoe.

Keisuke straightened. Something was definitely wrong. Ryousuke disliked wasteful activities, and with the schedule that he keeps, even when he left his street-racing days completely, he couldn't afford the luxury of joyriding.

He stared down at the toes of his boots as if willing them to move. Even from his slumped position, he felt that Ryousuke built an invisible barrier that prohibited unwanted intruders in, and Keisuke felt that he was unwanted at the moment.

"Why didn't you come up, then?" he tried again.

Ryousuke merely nodded, signifying the end of the stilted conversation.

Keisuke took in a long breath, tamping down the impatience prickling at him. He took a step, nothing more. "Something on your mind, _aniki_?" he ventured slowly. "You don't just coast around then pop up here for no reason." He tested the waters again, taking a few steps to lean against the opposite wall, directly in front of his sibling.

His brother looked up again, and the soft light from the garage couldn't hide the weariness reflected from the other's usually keen eyes. There seemed to be an inner struggle going on behind those eyes, until Ryousuke gave way to a sigh, a decision met.

"I've been doing ER duty at Tokyo General since the start of the week," the elder Takahashi began slowly, resting his head against the FC with a soft sigh. "It hadn't been easy. It's always busy with people coming in an out on all hours of the day."

"So… when has too much stress gotten to you? You virtually thrive on constant action," Keisuke hazarded with a shrug. "I mean, I'm sure it can get crazy and all, but you always see to it that you're on top of things."

A corner of his lips quirked up in clear amusement. "I wish I could tell you it was so."

Lengthy silence ensued. Keisuke idly considered that prying an oyster with a toothpick was nothing compared to getting his sibling to talk about what bothers him. On any other occasion, he would leave Ryousuke be with his thoughts; he always had a way to get himself untangled in the yarn he was in. But, this time, he slowly realized, with his brother being physically distant most of the time, when would there be another chance for them to sit and talk like this?

"Y-you can talk about it… if you want." Keisuke still gave that opening for Ryousuke to escape. He felt a little unsure how their conversation would go down, feeling totally unprepared on how he could provide some sort of support for his brother. Virtually all his life, all he looked after was Number One. That priority had skewed a bit after learning to work in a team and following his brother, but he always had backup, no matter what the situation was. This little role reversal was completely alien to him.

Ryousuke stared at his younger brother for what seemed to be minutes, until a weary ghost of a smile broke through his lips.

"The Emergency Room has always been the most challenging duty in any hospital," he started slowly, "so I've mentally prepared myself for the various traumas that would come in. Anyone would have to, or you won't last ten minutes there.

"There's this one case… this afternoon. A woman in her thirties was carrying a bloodied five-year-old boy in her arms. I was about to come off duty, and since all the doctors were called away, I was tapped to assist in this case." His jaw worked, swallowing hard before continuing.

"The woman was the little boy's neighbor, lived on the same floor. She found the boy at the stairwell, his face and shirt front covered in blood from a broken nose. We took him in, treated him for his concussion, two broken ribs, fractured right arm… not to mention the cuts and bruises he had."

Keisuke frowned slightly, wondering why his brother seemed troubled by this 'case' of his. Ryousuke would only discuss such things when asked by his parents. Keisuke didn't voice out his misgivings, and instead nodded and said, "Go on."

Ryousuke took in a slow unsteady breath. "Despite his small body, we could tell that he was fighting. It was two, maybe three hours we spent working on the child, before he was stabilized enough to be transferred to the ICU. But…" Here, Ryousuke faltered, ran a hand through his hair.

The younger man's frown deepened. He didn't know what he found more disturbing: the tale Ryousuke was describing or the fact that the same man who served as his pillar for years was slouched in their garage, visibly shaken by his own tale.

He fought for his voice to work. "Aniki, I…"

"His eyes."

"What?" Keisuke blinked, unsure of the soft rejoinder.

Ryousuke closed his own eyes at the recollection. "I can't forget the look in those eyes the moment I saw him until we got him on the operating table. They never blinked once until we sedated him. It was as if he retreated within himself. Looking at his injuries, I was sure that the boy was abused, beaten within the thread of his young life."

He opened his eyes again, glistening with unmasked torment and quiet rage that Keisuke fought the urge to draw back. "According to the woman who brought him in, the child lived with his uncle. His mother died of cancer, while his father wasted his life away with alcohol until death claimed him as well. His uncle was the only relative reluctant enough to take the child in. He was notorious in his building for his vile temper, and Kusaki-san had been witness to his rough treatment of the boy. This has been the worst."

Little did Keisuke realize that his hands clenched at his sides, anger boiling beneath the surface. His time with the _bokozosu _and the little skirmishes during their battles has given him more than enough exposure to a man's capability of violence. But to inflict that on a child… even their own father, distant and imposing as he was, never dealt a heavy hand on them when they were boys. "Damn bastard," he spat under his breath. "Did this woman file a report?"

Ryousuke was resting his head against his hand. He nodded slightly, his other hand clenching and unclenching as if on their own accord. "The police are still searching for him. Apparently, he fled when the boy was found."

The younger Takahashi crossed the space between them, joining his brother on the pavement, sitting beside him. "They'll find him, _Aniki_," he said in gruff assurance when he managed to speak. "One way or another, that son of a bitch _will_ pay…"

A soft mirthless chuckle escaped from Ryousuke's lips. "What would it matter? The damage is irreparable."

"What do you mean, irreparable?"

"Don't you see, Keisuke? Submitting a child through that kind of violence would inevitably have an effect on his psyche. And…" Ryousuke visibly swallowed, "there's more."

"'More'?"

"There were signs that the boy was… _abused_." His brother's usually keen eyes faltered. "Not just once. We suspect the uncle, but there's also a possibility he's forcing others on the boy…"

The implication of that one word was not lost on Keisuke, as sickening knots formed inside his belly. _The sick son of a bitch!_

The painful silence stretched between them, Keisuke feeling the distance grow between them again. He cursed himself mentally, floundering for a way to offer some form of support, an encouraging word. _Something._

"I've seen worse cases, Keisuke. Gunshot wounds, vehicular trauma, stabbings. It was hard, but I weathered through them. But this..." He paused briefly trying to control the small quiver in his voice. "We repaired his body, but his innocence is completely shattered…"

He stopped abruptly and screwed his eyes shut, and Keisuke noted the slight trembling of his older brother's shoulders. At that moment, Keisuke felt the strongest urge to leave, very much unused to this reversed role as listener. But neither body nor conscience made to follow.

"I feel like a coward, driving aimlessly when I got off duty. I think I made three rounds of uphill and down passing Akina on my way here," Ryousuke said huskily, his voice raw from the surging emotions. Keisuke was then drawn to the heat emanating from the front tire's brake plate, and the fact that the always immaculate FC's fender was uncharacteristically streaked of underbrush and dirt.

"I don't know how O_tou-san _does it," his brother continued softly, "witnessing every inhuman horror imaginable pass through his hands. I'm not sure—I…"

A firm hand grasped Ryousuke's shoulder. "_Don't say it!_" Keisuke whispered harshly, struggling with the roiling in his chest. He was afraid of the next words that would come out from his brother's mouth, afraid that the steadfast idol actually had a crack and was ready to crumble. "You've struggled against a lot of shit in your life—hell, you even tried to fix mine! Don't let this get to you, Aniki! You're made of tougher stuff than this."

Keisuke was aware he was saying them more for himself than for his brother. Who covered his ass when he was younger? Who tried to save the RedSuns from the disgrace of their first loss? His mind railed against the bald fact that the cold, calculating machine behind the RedSuns and Project.D was actually sitting on the dirty pavement beside him, looking defeated, feeling the injustice of human existence. If not Ryousuke, who would stand strong for him?

Then again, who would stand strong for Ryousuke? No wonder he looked like shit every time after internship duties at Gundai, when Ryousuke still lived with them. He tried to hide it with under a mask of cool indifference as if it was just a regular school day. As far as Keisuke understood, his brother's apprenticeship at Gunma University's medical facility not only covered lectures, but studying live "cases" as well. That was what Ryousuke referred to patients whenever their father asked how his eldest son's day went over dinner. Ryousuke, ever the dutiful son, carefully relayed the events that had gone, leaving out the more lurid details that didn't make good meal conversation. It hit Keisuke just then: his brother's voice was clear but subdued; but to him, Ryousuke gave away telltale signs that he all but wanted to drop the subject. If it were Keisuke, he would have begged off and ran through Akagi's corners as if the devil was on his tail.

… _witnessing every inhuman horror imaginable pass through his hands… _

The older Takahahi's small tremors seemed to have been subdued, and Keisuke caught Ryousuke quickly and discreetly swipe at his face before turning back to face his younger sibling. His face was set like a mask, but there was no fooling the younger man from the turmoil that remained behind those dark eyes.

"I wish I could tell you it was so," Ryousuke repeated quietly.

Bereft of words and unable to meet the pained gaze of his elder, Keisuke bridged the unseen distance Ryousuke was putting between them again. It was the only way he knew how, like what his older brother had done in their younger years. With an arm around the other's slumped shoulders, he hesitantly drew his brother close before he could actually shrink away. Thankfully, Ryousuke didn't resist the awkward hug, as they sat there in the company of silence under the sallow garage lights.

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_Your thoughts of this ficlet would be nice to know. Thanks! _


	3. Drawing the Battle Lines

_[7/27/09 9:27 AM] As promised, something a little light-hearted after Realization. Here's my take on how Keisuke tried to borrow Ryousuke's FC in the Fourth Stage. Of course, we all know how it ended up. But ain't it fun to __speculate?_

_Some spoilers galore for those who haven't watched it! Hope you enjoy._

**Disclaimer:** The characters are creations by Shuichi Shigeno from the manga/anime series, _Initial D. _No copyright infringements intended.

* * *

**Drawing the Battle Lines**

It was a battle he was sure to lose.

He had learned over time to never entertain the prospect of losing, no matter the circumstances. And it was with this way of thinking that brought recognition to the name Takahashi Keisuke. For no matter the odds or the capability of his opponent or their cars, Keisuke displayed extraordinary talent and grit that made his victories almost effortless. He and his bright-yellow Mazda RX-7 FD3S were the ones to beat in the uphill races.

But now, he admitted to himself, no amount of horsepower, determination, or even skill could get him out of the tight spot he was in. Because, though Keisuke has had a brush of the same experience many times in the past, he always hoped he never had to go through it again.

Because nobody experiences Takahashi Ryousuke's brand of bull-headedness relatively unscathed.

His older sibling's room had been a witness to many a battle of any form, be it during its planning stages for a street battle, or its execution when it came to a word war. And such wars were the type Keisuke would rather avoid completely when it comes to his brother.

At present, he was staring at his opponent's back almost pleadingly, while the latter was occupied with what was displayed on his computer screen. Brother Ryousuke seemed either preoccupied or too complacent his point will win out, the picture of calm and cool collection.

"Do I need to get on my knees and beg?" Keisuke prompted, breaking the silence.

His brother didn't even turn. "Don't bother," he answered, Keisuke detecting the smirk in his tone; "because the answer's still no."

"But _Aniki _[1]! We owe it to her! We couldn't have won without her FD," he reasoned.

"You can say that it was partly that reason," Ryousuke admitted. "Yet, I don't see why my FC will play party to your debt to Ms. Iwase."

Why he even bothered pursuing the conversation, Keisuke still wondered. Three days! It could have been out of persistence or spite, he told himself. When it came to giving aid, or whenever or whatever Keisuke asked, Ryousuke was more than willing to comply—most of the time. There were times that Keisuke was asked to exert some effort for the favor asked. He might grumble, but it was only natural for little brothers to do so.

What he had forgotten in this instance was that he was involving his brother's FC. And when it came to borrowing Ryousuke's beloved car, well, one needs to have a full arsenal of reasoning and wit to come out successful.

Ryousuke turned to glance at him, brows raised expectantly at Keisuke's sudden reticence.

He squirmed under the intense scrutiny, momentarily regretting his request. But persist, he must.

He rubbed a hand over his mouth. "I'm-gonna-take-her-out-to-the-city-then-have-dinner," he got out hastily.

_That _definitely got Ryousuke's attention when he actually turned his back on his work, swiveling in his chair to face his younger brother.

"In popular culture, it is called a _date_." His head tilted thoughtfully as he gazed at Keisuke.

He bristled at the implication. "Don't you put words in my mouth, Aniki!" he retorted. "It's simply returning a favor I owed."

"_You _owed." There was a glint in the older Takahashi's eyes that put the younger brother on edge. "Your words. Which meant it was your idea in the first place. You challenged my decision and used her FD, which means that my car and I have no obligation to her."

Keisuke sat back, fuming. He hated his brother's way with words when it's used against him.

"Why don't you wait for your FD to be fixed, then ask her out?" Ryousuke proposed.

The younger sibling's eyes dropped to the tips of his slippered feet. "I don't want this to drag on longer than it should," he admitted, voice low.

Curiosity lit his brother's eyes. "You don't like her?"

"It's not that. It's just…" he floundered for a few moments, all of a sudden unsure. He hadn't really thought beyond this point of his FC-borrowing campaign. It was then, he recalled, that candor would be the best approach when talking to his brother.

"I don't want to drag this on any longer and keep her hopes up," he managed to say at length.

Ryousuke eyed him keenly through narrowed eyes as if pondering his words. "But you're not saying you don't like her."

Keisuke found himself frowning. _Trust Aniki to latch on to some minor detail he thought was important!_ "You're starting to sound as nosy as Tsugumi [2], you know."

His brother's response was not forthcoming as he leaned back and crossed his arms without a word. When it seemed that Ryousuke was content to let the conversation die slowly, Keisuke mussed his hair in frustration.

"Is this what it takes to borrow your FC for one lousy date?"

Oh, if only he could take back those last words, not liking how one dark brow rose at his poorly chosen word.

"Yes," was his older brother's glib reply.

"Okay. Fine." Keisuke sat up, giving up the game. "Let's just say, _hypothetically_, I like her." He gave pause at his brother's infuriating smirk. To wipe that off his smug face… "Are you gonna help me out?"

The elder brother's smirk softened to a grin. "You know I would," he answered, then he turned business-like. "I'd advise you to give a good impression, which means you should be at your best." He sat back languidly as he went on. "Which also means that you would be in your element if you pick her up in your FD. Or, better yet, you can borrow Father's W126. [3]"

As he listened, Keisuke pictured himself bashing his head against the wall, something he considered to be a lot easier than arguing with Ryousuke. But the last suggestion came unexpectedly.

"The Benz?" his asked flatly, blinking. "You're joking, right?"

"You want to look your best, don't you?"

He couldn't believe his ears. Takahashi Ryousuke, a demon on the downhill with his FC, suggesting a _Benz_?

"She's a racer!" he all but exploded in disgust.

Ryousuke was not ruffled in the least. "You two aren't exactly racing," he pointed it out nonchalantly.

"It's a freaking hearse!"

"A V8 engine with 295 hp [3]? I don't think so."

Keisuke was starting to feel he was fighting a losing battle, and he was losing fast. "I get to ride with you in your car!" He inwardly cringed at the panicked pitch in his voice. "Kyoko would be no different! Why can't I do the same for her?"

His response was smooth as ever. "Yes, it is different." Ryousuke turned back to his neglected work. "I won't be driving my own car."

_Damn it_! "Anikiiiiiiii!"

* * *

Points go to Ryousuke in this round. But what makes you think Keisuke didn't try again? :)

**Notes:**

[1] Aniki – "older brother". But most of you folks now that by now…

[2] Tsugumi is the brothers' younger cousin. She appeared in the manga at least twice.

[3] I took some liberties on the Takahashi dad's vehicle. Anyone who can accurately identify the actual model and power specs, let me know!

Reviews are always welcome. Thanks for reading!

_PS -- My thanks to **Meteor **for the correction on the Benz model!_ ^_^


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